Mosquitoes Basic Biology:
We have approximately 50 species of mosquitoes in Chambers County. Of these, the public commonly encounters about 12. It is important to know which species you are dealing with before control strategies can be planned and initiated, as the different species vary in breeding sites, flight ranges, peak activity periods, and biting behavior.

Eggs are laid in one of two ways, depending on the species. Some species (pool breeders) lay eggs directly on standing water. These eggs hatch in 24 to 48 hours, and the mosquito larvae take 5 to 7 days to emerge as adults. Fresh eggs are laid every day, so mosquito production is constant unless the water evaporates. This type of egg laying behavior is also common in artificial containers such as tires, bird baths, buckets & cans, rain gutters, etc. These species usually fly only 1 to 5 miles.
Other species (flood water breeders) lay eggs on dry ground in depressions or low areas that will hold water after a rain or high tide. These eggs are viable for several years, and will hatch in minutes after being submerged if water temperatures are in the right range. Again, 5 to 7 days are spent in the larval stage before the mosquito emerges as an adult. Because all the eggs hatch at once, large numbers of mosquitoes are produced simultaneously. Think of them as tiny time bombs! This is why you have no mosquitoes on one day, and the next day you are covered with them. These species can fly up to 100+ miles. Some species also lay these eggs in dry artificial containers.
Regardless of the species, only 20% of the eggs that are deposited survive to become adults, and of these, about half, or 10%, are females. This means that only 10% of the potential mosquito population causes all of our problems.